Telephone wire pair clip



Dec. 23, 1969 e. L. FUCHS ET AL TELEPHONE WIRE PAIR CLIP Filed April 26, 1967 FIG. I

F/G.ZA

IN VEN TORS: BY!

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,485,467 TELEPHONE WIRE PAIR CLIP George L. Fuchs, Severna Park, and Francis J. Mulliu,

Baltimore, Md., assignors to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, Murray Hill and Berkeley Heights,

N .J a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 633,910 Int. Cl. F161 3/22 US. Cl. 248-68 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A telephone wire pair clip is characterized by a sloping cantilevered roof with the ends adjacent but below the vertical sides of two wire support loops.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to clips or supports for stranded structures and more particularly to an improved clip for telephone wire pairs.

It is desirable to maintain telephone wire pairs in orderly arrays at splice points. To this end a number of clips have been used heretofore in various types of closures, these clips characterized essentially by a central pair of gripping legs with loops disposed outwardly thereof for supporting the wire pairs.

While seemingly a simple enough device, the known prior art clips have exhibited one or more drawbacks which reduce their effectiveness. For example, it has been necessary when mounting and removing these clips to spread their legs apart in a separate step. Further, some earlier designs employ separate appurtenances as gripping members, which also somewhat impede fastening. Additionally, prior art clips often are so designed that the loop ends do not effectively help in guiding the wire pairs into the loop. As the number of such clips installed annually are in the millions, a solution tothese problems is highly desirable.

Accordingly, a general object of this invention is to reduce the time and cost of working wire splices in the telephone outside plant.

A further object of this invention is to simplify the installation and removal of telephone wire pair clips at cable splice points.

A still further object of this invention is to simplify the placement of wire pairs into such supportive clip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by a new wire pair clip characterized broadly by a smooth pair of gripping legs joined at one end by a curved, cantilevered roof member and mounting at their other ends a quarter-circle support loop that culminates in close proximity to, but substantially above, the respective end of the roof member.

The present invention enables the direct sloping entry of the wire pairs into the support loops. Significantly, the slope of the roof member and the enhanced height of the adjacent loop end contribute to this result. Pursuant to another facet of the invention, the storage loop itself grips the closure bar or wire strand, without resort to added gripping members.

Advantageously, the wire clip of the present invention is fabricated of nylon for greater resiliency without cracking and for greater outdoor durability. Additionally, the wire clip is substantially wider than earlier clips to provide greater resistance to rocking. The enhanced width is a factor also in the greater spring-gripping capabilities of the inventive clip.

3,485,467 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 HP I C6 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGS. 1 and 1A are front and side views of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 2A are front and side views of a second inventive embodiment; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams showing the inventive clip installed on a crossbar comprising part of a splice closure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As seen in FIG. 1, one inventive embodiment of the new clip, designated generally as 10, comprises a first leg 11 and a second leg 12 joined at their top ends by a downwardly curving, sloping roof member 13. The legs 11, 12 curve toward each other to form a generally arcuate gripping surface which in this case is suitable for gripping .the support strand 14 of figure-eight cable, for example. Significantly, the inside surface of legs 11, 12 are smooth so as to offer no impediment to installation, save for their frictional reaction with the support strand 14.

Legs 11, 12 each blend into storage loops 15, 16, respectively, whichimportantlyare substantially quarter circles. Further, the top portions 17, 18 of loops 15, 16 are essentially vertical when installed on strand 14 and also extend somewhat above the top of strand 14. Pursuant to the invention, the roof member includes cantilever portions 19, 20 which form a part thereof and provide a smooth sloping surface for receiving the wire pairs and guiding them downwardly into the storage loops. This convenience is enhanced by the fact that the ends 21, 22 are disposed adjacent to the vertical part of the respective loops 15, 16, but below the loop top portions 17, 18.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention, designated as 20, suitable for use with a crossbar of a splice closure. The numerals of FIG. 2 which correspond to numerals employed in FIG. 1 define identical parts. The only difference between the two embodiments resides in the legs which in the FIG. 2 embodiment are designated 23, 24 and are seen to be straight so as to form an elongated unobstructed slot to accommodate a bar such as 25 shown in FIG. 3. The principles of the invention, however, described above with respect to the FIG. 1 embodiment apply with equal import. Advantagcously, legs 23, 24 are inclined slightly toward the vertical as in FIG. 2, so as to effect a strong grip when installed on bar 25.

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of the present invention in conjunction with a bar comprising part of a splice closure. A large plurality of telephone wire pairs, designated 2.6, have been accommodated in loop 15. The clearance between roof member end 21 and the inner vertical wall of support loop 15 advantageously is about .020 inch, representing an interference fit with the wires making up the wire pairs which the loop supports. It is seen that, owing to the smooth gripping surface of legs 23, 24, the clip 20 may be installed with one hand without need to pre-open it. Similarly, it may as readily be withdrawn. A further and equally important time-saving feature relates to the manner of placing wire pairs in the loop. Merely by generally positioning each wire pairas pair 27, for example-upon the cantilever 19 and then pulling downwardly, the wire slips easily and surely into the support loop 15, secured and guided by the vertical part of loop 15 and its elevated end portion 17.

Advantagcously, the clips 10 and 20 are fabricated of a nylon, grade 1, type 2, commercially available as Zytel 10 1, because this material exhibits superior resistivity to cracking and durability in diverse weather conditions. Other generally suitable materials, however, have been found to be a polycarbonate, known as Lexan 2014, and another nylon known as Plaskon 8202.

It is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various modifications may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A telephone wire pair clip comprising: a pair of opposed smooth resilient legs defining an elongated gripping slot therebetween; a downwardly curved roof member joining said legs at their upper ends and extending outwardly on either side, said member having a smooth continuous upper surface; and a pair of symmetrical telephone wire pair support loops each extending upwardly from the respective lower end of one of said legs, each said loop terminating in an end portion that is in close proximity to, but materially higher than, the respective end portion of said roof member.

2. A wire clip in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support loops are substantial quarter-circles with their uppermost portions being substantially vertical.

3. A telephone wire pair clip comprising: a unitary nylon structure consisting of a pair of smooth opposed resilient legs defining an elongated gripping slot therebetween; a downwardly curved roof member joining said legs at the latters upper ends, said member extending outwardly on either side and comprising a smooth continuous upper surface; and a pair of symmetrical quartercircle telephone wire pair support loops each extending upwardly from the lower end of one of said legs with the uppermost portions being substantially vertical, each loop terminating in an end portion that is materially higher than the respective end portion of said roof member, the clearance between the latter and the adjacent inner vertical wall portion of said loop being approximately inch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,136,515 6/1964 Potruch 248--68 X 3,157,377 11/1964 Orenick 248-74 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,135,514 4/1957 France. 1,236,656 6/1960 France. 631,702 1/ 1962 Italy.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner U .8. Cl. X.R. 

